Salt

August 1, 2010 - Angelia Jolie lets her fists do the talking in this action-packed thriller from director Phillip Noyce, who also worked with Jolie in 1999's The Bone Collector. The cast includes Liev Schreiber and Andre Braugher (though I didn't notice Braugher until his name popped up in the credits).

Jolie plays a CIA agent named Evelyn Salt. When first we meet her, she is being held captive and tortured by the North Koreans. Her boyfriend, a spider expert named Mike, pulls some strings to get her released. Two years later, the couple is married and preparing to celebrate their anniversary.

But, just as Salt is about to head home for the special evening, a man shows up claiming to be a Russian defector. He tells of a plot to assassinate the Russian president, who is headed to New York to attend the funeral of the US vice president. Salt, who has questioned the man, expresses doubts. But, as she is about to leave the room, the man outs her as a Russian sleeper agent, planted in the US years ago as part of a plot to overthrow America. The man's claim sets off a sequence of events that begins and ends with Salt running for her life.

Overall review: *** The real star of the film is the action. There's one chase sequence after another. The stunts are spectacular as Salt scales the outside of a building, leaps from one moving vehicle to another and bounces from wall to wall. Along the way, Salt takes her fair share of punishment, but she also knows how to dish it out. The ending leaves the door open for a sequel (or sequels) and I, for one, hope it's a door that Salt (and Jolie) will walk through again.